"That Loki!"

I enjoy Loki and I'm sure there are more out there that do but I find it odd I don't see more skilled ones. It takes very little skill to ult in and kill someone with him but takes enormous skill to get in AND out to regroup for another attack.

I decided to create this to give others a view from my prospective.

Depending on the opposing team composition I have two primary builds.

"Enemy Opposition" is for when a team has more physical gods that have the ability to stick in the fight longer. This puts loki more at risk of being stunned or visible for long than is required.

::The Focus::

Penetration (from what I've seen) is under-utilized in matches I've played. Granted, I play casual and by no means play the "cream of the crop" of this title. None the less, my builds incorporates two items focused towards penetration.

::The what and why::

Warrior Tabi - Speed is critical for obvious reasons, but with the latest patch and rework it now provides that nifty stat penetration. Which to me, is fantastic. =)

Jotunn's Wrath - gives cooldown reduction which gives more opportunity for offensive attacks and can sometimes be just in time for escapes. Most Loki's from what I've seen go the "full attack power" route which is fine and all, but when it comes to Loki, missed opportunities stand out to other players.

Voidblade or Titan's Bane - Penetration, need I say more? Well, yes I do actually. Loki is very weak, but sometimes that tiny amount of defense can mean the difference between the final blow to you or your opponent. Going toe to toe with Thor below level 15 isn't advised but when you get pinched, voidblade can really help.
Use Titan's bane if you don't have much opposition.

Qin's Blades - The item gives attack speed, health and most importantly a full time bonus to damage. This comes in handy for those opponents who like to stack health items such as tanks and hybrid tanks.

Rage - By far the best item ever for a Loki type character. It compliments his speed, his crit and stacks off his already high attack speed. Each non-crit hit adds crit chance and at higher levels with Deathbringer is extremely efficient.

Deathbringer - When used in conjunction with Rage is most deadly, but with such a high cost, I save this for last in my builds. It also helps to already have Rage in place so to improve the effect of crit.

Simple.

Acquire one of each, focus on aimed strike and purchase utl levels when available.
Decoy can wait for last after you've acquired one.

There's no doubt about it that Loki is a "loan wolf".
That being said, doesn't mean he can't help the team. His simple presence can shape the enemy formation. I've vanished and stayed completely still just to save a teammates from death. Play to your advantages by staying on the outside of the battle and towards the enemy side. If you can "ult in" and make a strike do so when the opportunity presents itself. Use your aimed strike during the ensuing attack and by the time the enemy team notices their teammate dropping you should already be on your way out or vanished.

If you feel the need to jump into the frey in open combat, utilize your teams spells to assist you, for instance. Stay inside an activated ult or inside a teammates crowd control spell. Who gets the kill is irrelevant, you're there as a team to kill the enemy. Other players subconsciously will avoid areas of CC and ult zones even if you're low health because they are conditioned by game play to do so.

One other thing, don't be afraid to vanish running one way and turn directly towards the enemy to escape. Most will place a spell where they think you should be based off your last position and relative speed. Running back into a group of 3 or 4 enemies would seem suicide to most but it's saved me countless times.

:: Pros ::

High damage
High penetration
Cooldown reduction

:: Cons ::

Slight less damage than full attack power
Low defense

Speed and damage, but don't be a jerk and steal buffs from teammates just because you can.

I highly encourage you to stealth in at half health of a mob that an enemy is attacking and steal them. Not only does this seriously piss people off but it makes me smile and actually calms me down so that I play better and make less impulse moves. (Less deaths = happy teammates)

Yes, you DO have one.
Even though you can move freely in the map, they can't and they need you.

If your zeus is getting melted, stick near him and watch his back.
Kills are great but if your teammates are getting melted you're bleeding tickets...